Wire rope hoist



Jan. 23, 1945. H. F. PARKER 2,368,039

WIRE ROPE HOIST Filed Oct. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Qua- M ATT RNEYS Jan. 23, 1945. H, F. PARKER 2,368,039

WIRE ROPE HOIST Filed Oct. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR film gay f/ arx ar Jan. 23, 1945. H, F, PARKER 2,368,039

WIRE ROPE HOIST Filed 001:. s, 1942 s Sheets-Sheei s f/ci. 3.

NEYS

Patented Jan. 23, 1945 WIRE ROPE HOIST Humphrey F. Parker, Kenmore, 'N. Y., assignor to Columbus McKinnon Chain Corporation, Tonawanda, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 3, 1942, Serial No. 460,684 '7 Claims. (01. sac-ms) It is well known to those skilled in the art that it is difllcult to balance a 'wire'rope hoist of the type having a single suspension hook and a single rope with a hook at its free end due to the travel of the rope across the drum which is usually small in diameter and relatively long.

The principle object of my invention has been to provide a hoist of this type which shall have its parts so arranged that the hoist will be substantially balanced either with or without the load.

Another object has been to provide a hoist h-av ing a suspension hook arranged in substantially the same plane as that occupied by the depending portion of the rope.

A further object has been to provide a hoist which shall be very compact, and at the same time have its parts readily accessible.

Moreover, my hoist has all parts completely inclosed except the opening vfor the passage of the depending portion of the rope.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the above drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is an exterior view of my hoist with a portion of the control cover broken away;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the hols taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the hoist, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

My hoist comprises a main frame or casing 5 substantially pear-shaped in cross-section and having an outer front wall 6 and an outer rear wall 1. One end of the casing is closed by a side wall 8 and a side wall 9 is provided at the opposite end of the casing. A lateral wall I is extended across the casing to divide it into a worm gear compartment II and a drum compartment I2. Another lateral wall 43 extends from the front Wall of the casing to the lateral wall 10, thereby providing a cable compartment I4 which extends laterally across the casing terminating at the wall 8 atone end and having its opposite and extending through the wall 9. The rear wall I of the hous-- ing is provided with a disc l5 having a flange Hi and a bearing boss 20 for the support of the electric motor M of my hoist. The flange '22 of the motor-preferably contacts the flange 16 of the housing and is secured thereto by means of bolts 23. The bearing hub 24 of the motor passes through an opening formed in the bearing boss 20. The motor is provided with theusual motor shaft 26, upon the extended end of which is mounted a worm 30. This worm meshes with a worm gear 31 and both the worm and worm 65 gear are mounted within the worm gear compartment I I or the casing. The worm gear is mounted upon a worm gear shaft 21 which is supported by a bearing '28 carried by the end wall '8 of the easing. The shaft extends through this wall and is provided with an extending and 29 upon which is mounted a pinion 44.

The end wall 9 of the casing is formed with an opening 32 arranged opposite and preferablyconcentric with the worm gear 3| to facilitate the assem-bling of the worm gear, and this opening is closed by means of a worm gear compartment cover 33.

Mounted within'the drum compartment; I2 is the drum 34 of my device. This drum is relatively large in diameter so that fewer convolutions are required for a given length of cable, with the result that only a relatively short drum is necessairy. The drum is provided with the customary helical groove 85 for the reception of the cable 35, and it is mounted upon a drum shaft 40 one end of which is journaled in a bearing boss 4| formed on the wall 8 of the casing. The shaft 40 is provided with an extended end 42 which projects beyond the face of the wall 8 and upon which is supported a drum gear 43. The drum gear is connected to the pinion 44 by means of an intermediate gear 45 which-is mounted upon the projecting end 46 of a gear stud 50, carried by a boss 5| and formed on the wall 8 of the casing. An opening '52 is formed in the end wall 9 of the casing through which the drum 34 may be passed in assembling the hoist. This opening is prefcrably concentric with the drum shaft bearing formed in the boss 4| and a. drum bearing cover 53 is provided for closing the opening. This cover is formed with a bearing boss 54 for "supporting the opposite end of the drum shaft 40. The shaft at this end is preferably formed with a screwthreaded extension 55 carrying adjustable switch nuts 56 which are held against rotation by means of alimit stud 60 which engages with slots formed in the nuts. These nuts are moved back and forth along the threaded shaft extension as the drum is rotated to raise and lower the load, and they engage the control arms SI of the limit switches 61 to interrupt the current to the motor at the extreme limits ofrnovement oi the cable on the drum. The drum is completely inclosed within the compartment except .for an opening 68 formed opposite the downward pass of the cable '36.

The drum gear 43. the pinion 44 and the intermediate gear 45, as hereinbefore pointed out, are all arranged on the outside surface of the wall 8 of the casing, and agear cover 6! is secured to the casin for inclosing the gears thereby formin a gear train compartment 62.

Opposite the end wall 9 of the casing l there is provided a spaced control cover 64 which incloses the shaft extension 55, the limit switches and associated parts. As shown in Fig. 2 the disc i5 to which the motor of the device is secured is considerably larger in diameter than the width of the casing 5. It therefore overhangs the casing at both sides, and the gear cover 69 and control cover 64 are extended sufiiciently to engage the disc and enclose the overhanging portions thereof. Formed in that portion of the disc which is enclosed within the control cover 64 is a motor cable opening 65 through which the cable 66 conducting current to the motor may pass.

The front wall 6 of the casing is formed with an opening 10 which communicates with the cable compartment l4 and the casin at this point is provided with a junction box 1|, formed preferably on the casing and having a cover 72. The parts are so designed that the supply line cable 13 will be clamped in place at the top of the junction box, and thecontrol cable 14 will be clamped in place at the bottom of the box. Obviously, the control cable extends to a control switch '15 having the usual "up button 16 and .down (button 11. The supply cable 13 is connected with the control cable 14 and with the motor cable 66 in suitable manner whereby the motor may be operated through the control switch in either hoisting or lowering direction.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the motor shaft is arranged at right angles to the axes of the worm gear and the drum. The motor is supported by the rear wall 1 and disc l5 of the casing, and the axis of the drum is offset and in advance of the axis of the worm wheel when viewed from the side as in Fig. 3 thereby distributing the weight of the variou parts. single suspension hook 80 of my device is, therefore, disposed near the rear side of the casing and at a point where the parts will be substantially balanced longitudinally of the motor. The

suspension hook is provided with the customary neck SI which is rotatably mounted within a hook adapter 82. This hook adapter is preferably screwthreaded within a hook boss 83 arranged at the top of the casing.

It will also be observed from the foregoing and by reference to Fig. 3 that the rope 36 as it leaves the drum, tangentially, lies in substantially the same plane as that through which the axis of the suspension hook passes so that the balance of the hoist in a plane parallel to the'axis of the drum shaft will not be affected by the load.

Longitudinally of the hoist, as'viewed in Fig. 2,

it will be seen that the axis of the hook is slightly offset from the center of the casing toward the wall 8, the center of gravity being moved from th center of the casing owing to the weight of the gears located within the gear train com partment as hereinbefore pointed out. Since the hoist drum is relatively large in diameter, fewer convolutions of the rope are necessaryfor a given length, and for this reason it will be obvious that there is not a great deal of longitudinal movement of the rope across the hoist from the position where it is unwound to the position where it is fully wound upon the drum. The load, therefore, when suspended from any of the grooves of the drum does not materially affect the balance of the hoist.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

The

1. A hoist comprising a housing having a side wall and an angularly related back wall with other wall parts forming therewith a drum chamber and a superimposed gear chamber, a gear arranged within the gear chamber and supported by the side wall, a drum supported beneath the gear by the side wall in the drum chamber and operatively connected to said gear, a hoist rope carriedby the drum, a suspension hook for the housing located adjacent the back wall, the axes of the gear and drum being substantially parallel to each other and each spaced from the back wall to dispose both the gear and drum substantially tangential to the line of suspension of th load at the lower free end of the hoist rope whereby the gear and drum will be disposed at one side of the back wall, and a motor operatively connected with said gear and supported by the back wall at the opposite side from the chambers to balance the arrangement.

2. A hoist comprising a'housing having a side wallv and an angularly related-back wall with other Wall parts forming therewith a drum cham; ber, a superimposed gear chamber, and a cable chamber adjacent said drum chamber and'sa'id ear chamber and located'at one point therebetween, a gear arranged within the gear chamber and supported by the side wall, a drum supported beneath the gear by the side wall in the drum chamber and operatively connected to said gear, a hoist rope carried b the drum, a suspension hook for the housing located adjacent the back wall, the axes of the gear and drum being substantially parallel to each other and each spaced from the back wall to dispose both the gear and drum substantially tangential to the line of suspension oi the load at the lower free end of the hoist rope whereby the gear and drum will be disposed at one side of the back wall, and a motor operatively connected with said gear and supported by the back wall at the opposite side from the chambersto balance the arrangement and receiving its electric current by means of a cable inclosed within said cable compartment.

3. In an electric hoist the'combination with the motor thereof, of a unitary casing having. a lateral wall for forming a drum compartment and a gear compartment, another wall connecting said first mentioned wall with the casingand thereby forming a cable compartment for the passage of the cable to the motor, said motor being carried by said casing and arranged oppo-j site said gear compartment and said dru-m com partment, said motor having a shaft extending into said gear compartment and havin its axis above said drum, intermediate its length, and at substantially right angles to the axis thereof, a

i worm carried by the shaft of said motor, a worm gear rotatably' mounted in said gear compartment, said gear being disposed above saidworm and meshing therewith, and a driving connection between said worm gear and said drum.

4. A wire rope hoist, comprising a casing hav} ing a rear wall and a connected side wall, a drum mounted on a drum shaft, said drum shaft being rotatably supported in the lower part of said cas ing by said side wall, said drum having a diam eter greater than its length, a worm gear mountg ed on a worm gear shaft said worm gear shaft being rotatably supported in the upper part oi said housing by said side wall, said wonn' 'gear having its axis spaced from the axis of said drum and located substantially midway the length of said drum, a motor carried by said rear wall in substantially right-angled axial relation to said drum and having a shaft projecting into the space between the drum and the worm gear, a worm carried by the projecting end of said motor shaft and meshing with said worm gear, said drum shaft and said worm gear shaft extending.

ing a rear wall and connected side walls, a drum mounted on a drum shaft, said drum shaft being rotatably supported in the lower part of said casing by one of said side walls, said drum having a diameter greater than it length, a worm gear mounted on a worm gear shaft, said worm gear shaft being rotatably supported in the upper part of said housing by the last mentioned wall, said worm gear having its axis spaced from the axis of said drum and located substantially midway the length of said drum, a motor carried by said rear wall in substantially right-angled axial rel-ation to said drum and having a shaft projecting into the space between the drum and the worm gear, a worm carried by the projecting end of said motor shaft and meshing with said worm gear, said drum shaft and said worm gear shaft extending through said last mentioned wall, driving gears carried by said last mentioned shafts and by said side wall for connectin said drum with said worm gear, said drive gears being arranged on the exterior of said side wall, a gear compartment cover secured to said housing for enclosing said drive gears, the opposite side wall being formed with an opening for the passage of said worm gear, a cover for said worm gear opening, said last mentioned wall being also formed with a drum opening for the passage of said drum, a cover for said drum opening, and a bearing for said drum shaft carried by said last mentioned cover.

6. A wire rope hoist, comprisin a unitary casing having side walls and a back wall, said casing being provided with a lateral wall extending mounted upon a drum shaft and disposed in said drum compartment, a worm ear mounted upon a gear shaft and disposed within said gear compartment, a motor carried by said back wall and having the axis arranged at right angles to the axis of said drum and arranged midway the length of said drum, said motor having a shaft extending into said gear compartment and disposed between said lateral wall and said worm gear, a worm carried by said shaft extension and meshing with said worm gear, said worm gear shaft and said drum shaft extending through and being rotatably supported by one of said side walls, drive gears carried by said last mentioned shafts and by said last mentioned side wall and disposed on the exterior of said side wall, and a gear compartment'cover secured to'said casing for enclosing said drive gears.

'7. A wire rope hoist, comprising a unitary casing having side walls and a back wall, said casin being provided with a lateral wall extending across said side walls and forming a gear compartment and a drum compartment, a drum mounted upon a drum shaft and disposed in said drum compartment, a worm gear mounted upon a gear shaft and disposed within said gear compartment, a motor carried by said back wall and having the axis arranged at right angles to the axis of said drum and arranged midway the length of said drum, said motor having a shaft extending into said gear compartment and disposed between said lateral wall and said worm gear, a worm carried by said shaft extension and meshing with said worm gear,'said worm gear shaft and said drum shaft extending through and being rotatably supported by one of said side walls, drive gears carried by said last mentioned shafts and by said last mentioned side wall and disposed on the exterior of said side wall, a gear compartment cover secured to said casing for enclosing said drive gears, the opposite side wall being formed with an opening for the passage of said worm gear, a cover for said worm gear opening, said last mentioned side wall being also formed with a drum opening for the passage of said drum, a cover for said drum opening, and a bearing for said drum shaft carried by said last mentioned cover.

HUMPHREY F. PARKER. 

